This note seeks to present some basic premises and hypotheses for discussion regarding the relationship between policies of state decentralization and the development --or existence-- of the local capacity required to implement such policies.

The focus of this report is on NRM activities broadly defined as those that promote sustainable agricultural production through improvements in on-farm soil and water management, such as social forestry, micro-watershed management, irrigation water management, and soil conservation.

The modern debate about decentralization and the optimal size and structure of government begins with the perceptions of these and other failings of the modern state. Proponents of decentralization condemn the impotence and waste of centralized government, and seek to [...]

During recent years, in the context of economic and political liberalization, analyses and public debate on agriculture in developing countries have explored new trends that include a broader view of the role of agriculture, a change in strategies and a [...]

This document is an extract from Chapter 1of the report prepared by the members of the FAO/CERFE Working group, which met during 1997 and discussed the issue of decentralization on the basis of the analysis of the Italian experience.